Harry Potter and the whole new world
by hellz swordsman
Summary: harry potter has just returned home from his first year at Hogwarts. nothing has changed. he is still treated like trash. but thanks to a bit of accidental magic he is transported to fareldan. what will change when harry travels with the grey wardens party ? find out inside. later sword wielding harry. cross-dressing harry. later eye transplanted harry. Morrigan as Harry's mother
1. prologue

First off I am not abandoning Naruto: the uzumaki's return this just wouldn't get out of my head.

Secondly I don't own harry potter dragon age; origins, or Naruto.

Finally I have no idea how long it'll go between updates as 1 I don't own a computer, and 2 I'm making these up as I go along even though I do have a clear idea where I'm going with them.

Harry had just gotten back from his first year of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. He had been having the time of his life until he got back to his aunt and uncles house. The first thing that had happened was his uncle backhanding him into a wall. The second thing had been his uncle locking his trunk and most of his magical stuff into the cupboard under the stairs. Then he bellowed that harry should go to his room and not stick his head out for the rest of the night.

Needless to say harry bolted away from his abusive family member. He did as he was told and hid in his room for the rest of the night. He lay down on his bed in his to large clothes and clutched his pillow to his chest. He truly didn't know why he had expected them to change but he had hoped beyond all hope that they would be just a little nicer to him. Fat chance it seemed. Oh well at least he had had the sense to stuff his wand into his shoe before stepping off the train. He cried himself to sleep that night wondering why his life had to be this way.

Harry woke to the sound of Hedwig rapping on his window. He climbed slowly out of bed and let her in. his face hurt, and he could see she was concerned by the large bruise on his face.

"Its ok girl I'm used to it." He said with a downcast expression. Hedwig hooted from her perch on Dudley's old computer. Harry looked it for what seemed an age before actually seeing it. It had been left in here when he moved in last year due to lack of space in the cupboard. There was a small stack of games beside the monitor on the desk. Harry quickly sat down at the desk and looked through the stack of games. He decided on a game called Dragon Age: origins. He popped the disk into the tray and started it up.

He watched longingly as the screen booted up. When the start up and character selections came up harry began to wish more than anything to be in this world. All the intense emotion fueled a spell like no other as this was in fact a boy like no other. The spell manifested a portal that quickly transported harry and Hedwig out of the room in a maelstrom of colour.

Vernon Dursley woke up to hear what sounded like a tornado swirling through his nephew's room. He bolted out of bed screaming obscenities at said nephew and ran to the room. However whatever it was he expected to find, it most certainly wasn't the room completely destroyed and harry missing. He stood staring dumbly before roaring in bestial rage. But it was too late the boy was well beyond his grasp. At least for the moment and when he returned he would be completely out of his uncle's league.

Harry woke up beside a large forest. Hedwig was perched on a fallen tree beside him taking in the surrounding area. They where between the woods and a small lake. There were ruins scattered about partially in partially out of the lake and there were sounds of fighting all around the area. He was so fixated on the surrounding area that he never noticed the shadow creeping up on him.

"What have we here?" a sultry feminine voice asked directly behind him. Harry spun around to see the very picture of feminine perfection looking at him. She had a simple purple garment to cover her breast, and not much else over her torso, and a black skirt decorated with feathers, bones and pretty rocks. She had a leather sleeve running the length of her left arm, and wore a pair of well broken in knee high leather boots. Her short pixie cut hair was as black as his own and he noticed her eyes were the same shade of green.

However what prompted Harry's major panic attack was he had seen this woman before. She was on the cover of the game he had just started. He quickly realized that he had been transported to an entirely different word. He then just as quickly past out.


	2. the meeting of a mother and her son

A.N. Alright first of all I am going to make a poll for this story. At the beginning of the prologue I stated I didn't own anything including Harry Potter Naruto and Star Wars. I stated that because I'm going to give Harry a force lightning like ability. And he will get a transplant left eye like Kakashi. This is what the poll will be about.

Harry woke up in an unfamiliar room. It was quite plain but it was also very homely. He gazed blurrily around the room before he noticed his glasses on the nightstand. He quickly put them on and took in the room. It was mostly bare and the only decorations where furs feathers and sparkling crystals. He stared at his surroundings so intently that he never noticed Morrigan enter the room. She gazed at the child before her before clearing her throat to get his attention. Harry spun around and saw Morrigan looking at him inquisitively.

"Its good that you've woken up mother would like to speak with you." She said pursing her lips.

"Where am I?" he asked her suspiciously.

"All questions shall be answered when you speak with mother." Morrigan said before turning to leave the room. Then as an afterthought she added. "Yours and ours."

Harry stood up and followed morrigan out of the room, albeit abit reluctantly. She led him to a small kitchen dining area where a wizened old woman sat stroking Hedwig. Harry's gaze softened at the sight of the owl.

"Hey girl, are you ok?" Harry asked holding out his arm for her to perch on. She quickly complied and received a loving stroke of her feathers, to which she cooed contentedly.

"That's an amazingly smart familiar you have there boy keep her close always." The elder woman said stretching her hand out and offering harry….his wand! Harry took it looking at the two women skeptically.

"Where am I? And who are you" he asked suspiciously.

"You are in the outskirts of the Korcari Wilds." The elder said patiently. "And I am Flemeth. This is my daughter Morrigan. Who are you and how is it you came to be here?"

Harry thought for a moment before speaking. Finally he opened his mouth and began. "My name is Harry Potter…"

Their conversation lasted for a grand total of three hours, in which harry explained everything he knew about his own magic and learned about their own. They had covered most subjects of Harry's first year at Hogwarts, and all of Morrigan's. After a long discussion there came a loud racket from the distance.

"So it has begun." Flemeth said cryptically.

"Sorry but what has begun?" Harry asked sheepishly.

"The boy, Cailen, marched his armies down here from the capitol." Flemeth said while her gaze seemed to rest miles away. "They are now engaging the darkspawn horde."

"So there's a battle taking place?" Harry asked in concern.

"Yes but you need not worry child, while I may be old I command a mastery over magic seldom seen in the world, and morrigan is no slouch either." Flemeth said turning her gaze from the horizon back to Harry's face. "But be aware that there will be a time coming soon that you will have to go with morrigan away from here. If it doesn't hurt you to badly there are two things I would suggest."

"And those would be?" harry asked skeptically.

"The first is that your name may be common where you are from, but here it will cause you a lot of attention. I would suggest going by Hadrian." She said logically and calmly which belayed any argument.

"And the second?" he asked cautiously.

"Given the nature of where you will be going and your future companions, I believe you should present the front that morrigan is your mother as a way to further your safety." Flemeth said this rather blunt and emotionlessly.

Harry was gob smacked. This woman wanted him to not only change his name, but to pretend her daughter was his mother. Not that it would be a hard sell given their similar appearances. In fact if he didn't know that he got his looks from James, he would say that yes it was very possible for her to be his mother. Harry turned to look at her for a moment before asking. "What do you think? Would you like to have to pretend that I'm your son for the next ever how long?"

"I can see a resemblance between the two of us." She said thoughtfully. "And if mother suggested it, it would have to be important. So to answer your question I have no problem acting as your mother."

"Very well." Harry, now Hadrian said exasperatedly.

"That's a good lad. Now I believe I should attend this battle, there are a few key piece of this game that must be saved from the slaughter that is to come." Flemeth exited the house leaving morrigan and Hadrian to stare awkwardly at one another.

"What am I supposed to call you?" Hadrian finally asked.

"Mother would be fine, but perhaps something more familiar would be prudent." Morrigan said with slightly thoughtful look on her face.

"I never knew my real mum." Hadrian said quietly.

Morrigan looked slightly uncomfortable before saying. "Mine has been more of a teacher and mistress than an actual mother, so I don't know how I'm supposed to act around you."

"Can you teach me your kind of magic?" Hadrian asked randomly.

"Oh, what about my magic would you like to learn?" morrigan asked with interest.

"Well I'd like to learn to turn into animals." Hadrian said sheepishly looking away from her.

"And why is that?" morrigan asked skeptically. "What animal would you like to become?"

Hadrian mumbled something, which caused morrigan to frown.

"If you're going to speak to me you'll have to speak up." Morrigan said somewhat forcefully. Hadrian glared back at her before saying:

"I want to turn into an owl so I can fly with Hedwig."

"Yes that would be an interesting experience." Morrigan agreed. "Sit down and focus on your body. Picture it changing. While doing this focus on everything you know about your familiar." They would spend the rest of the day training like this.


	3. a mothers protectiveness

Hadrian had just managed to begin the transformation when he heard a huge racket coming from the front of the house. When the sound grew in volume he lost all concentration and failed to complete the change which stopped it altogether. He got up in a huff and walked out of the house much to Morrigan's silent amusement. She followed him out the front door in case there was any danger, only to see him confront Flemeth who was changing into her human form from her dragon one.

Hadrian was initially shocked to see the dragon landing on the front yard, but quickly overcame it when he saw it begin to shrink. He got a mischievous gleam in his eye when he noticed a young blonde man gazing at Flemeth fearfully. He stepped forward when she was fully human and said.

"Grandmother must you make all that racket when you return I finally got mother to teach me to transform." Morrigan was smiling from her station looking every bit the proud mother. And Flemeth was smirking with amusement.

"Hadrian, child, we have guest go turn the bed down this girl is wounded." She said with a wider smirk, knowing he would have to play along.

Hadrian frowned at having his joke turned around on him but nodded and said. "Yes grandmother." He turned and went into the house followed shortly by Morrigan and Flemeth carrying a young petite woman. She was wearing a colorful set of robes, and a gold ring with a single blood red ruby encrusted in the center. After they came in the young blonde walked in carrying a knarled staff. Hadrian gazed at the gore covered warrior. He wore a suit of chainmail crusted over with blood and grim from, what Hadrian guessed was the battle that had been raging on.

Hadrian pulled out his wand and pointed it at the blonde, before saying. "scourgify." The blonde's armor went from filthy and stinking to newly cleaned and polished. The blonde gave a start before gazing uncertainly at him.

Hadrian shrugged. You couldn't have been comfortable wearing a filth encased suit of armor." He said in the way of an explanation, before returning his attention to his pseudo family. Flemeth was leaning over the girl running her hands over her body and chanting nonstop. He looked to morrigan only for her to say.

"Come this could take a while." To both, Hadrian and the grief stricken blonde. Both followed her from the room.

"What's your name?" Hadrian asked the blonde who walked silently beside him.

"I'm Alistair." He was told but that was all.

"Are you a knight of some sort?" Hadrian asked inquisitively.

"Not really I'm an ex-templar and a grey warden." He said looking at this child who seemed so at ease with his presence.

"you mean you used to hunt mages?" Hadrian asked with a bit of heat in his voice.

"No I was recruited by the wardens before I took my vows to the chantry." Alistair said quickly realizing that that line of thought could be bad for him.

"Oh." Hadrian said repentantly. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not." Alistair said sincerely. Morrigan, who had been watching the whole conversation, spoke up. Hadrian dear go wash up supper is ready to eat."

Hadrian nodded before leaving the hut. As soon as he left the door morrigan turned to Alistair with a look that would have a high dragon running for cover.

"Let me make something very clear in terms of my son. He is the only reason I will be civil to you, because I don't want him to see a side of me that isn't a nice kind mother that loves him. However if for any reason I feel my son if in danger that will go out the window really quick do you understand?"

Alistair nodded hastily while backing away from the scary woman.

"Good then we shall have no problems." She said happily. However on the inside she was wondering just where it was this protective streak had come from. Alistair meanwhile was wondering just house awkward this was going to get.


	4. harder than i thought

Hadrian stepped out of the house and walked over to the edge of the pond. He thought about all that was happening in such a short time. He had gone from being treated like trash all his life to being hailed as a hero, in one day. The opposite was also true. While he had been at Hogwarts there had always been someone to talk to and hang out with. And as soon as he had walked through the front door of number 4 privat drive, it had all changed back. Now he was trapped in a video game with no foreseeable way back and on top of that it was a war game.

He sighed to himself. Hedwig, who had been circling overhead, landed on his shoulder cooing softly to him. He smiled and stroked her feathers lovingly.

"At least I have you girl." He said with a sad smile. Hedwig nipped his ear affectionately.

"And I have a mum here." He said with a little uncertainty in his voice. "I've never had one before." Hedwig cooed softly to him.

"Hey girl, watch this." Hadrian said excitedly as he placed her on a tree stump. He sat down in the lotus position and began to meditate on Hedwig's form. He focused like Morrigan had taught him and begun to feel the changes taking place. He begun to shrink and lighten, before growing feathers, his arms flattened out to become wings. And his feet become talons. If he had of been paying more careful attention he would have noticed his already to large clothes falling off of him. As it was however he noticed when he found himself surrounded in a bundle of clothe.

After he fought his way out of the clothe he stood before Hedwig, in all of his owl like glory and said. "What do you think?"

Hedwig looked at him intently before saying "Friend Harry? How do you speak the language of avians?"

Hadrian's eyes widened which as an owl was highly comical, before replying. "You can talk?!"

"yes." She said with a huff. Hadrian quickly realized his mistake and apologized stating the while he had spoken to her, she had never spoken back.

"You are speaking my language." She stated simply. "Haven't you ever done that before?"

Hadrian thought for a moment, before nodding. "Yes I have. I talked to a snake once."

"Its like that before you where speaking human, and while I could figure out what you meant you couldn't understand me." Hedwig explained.

"Oh, ok. Want to go fly with me?" he asked cocking his head to the side.

"Do you know how?" Hedwig asked in confusion.

"Hadrian chuckled sheepishly. "Now that you mention it, no I don't can you teach me?"

Hedwig bobbed her head. "Of course I can friend harry."

They spent fifteen minutes where Hedwig explained how owls fly, before they took to the skies. Hadrian found, much to his delight, that he was just as much of a natural at flying as an owl as he was on a broomstick. They chased each other around the sky happy to forget the world and just be together. Until a very irate Morrigan walked from the hut, and reminded Hadrian, that he was holding up supper. Hadrian landed and changed back into a human. He blushed as she arched an eyebrow at his nudity. With a quick scourgify, and a hasty redressing, he walked into the hut and sat at the table. Alistair seemed to be giving him a wide berth, but he was doing that to everyone, so Hadrian paid it no mind. He listened to his mother speak to Alistair of what had happened.

Apparently the regent had left the king and half the army to die at the hands of the darkspawn. What Hadrian wondered though was how was it beneficial for the regent to kill off his daughters husband. Who had been the son of the regent's best friend no less? Hadrian quietly contemplated this before he had to fight a yawn.

"Bedtime." Morrigan said from her chair. Hadrian looked at her like she was crazy.

"Don't give me that look you need your rest. You were able to do a spell that took me months to learn in a matter of hours. You will be going to bed." She said forcefully. Hadrian reluctantly nodded, and went to the room he had woken up in. he had just opened the window to let in Hedwig, when morrigan followed him in.

He looked at her curiously before asking. "Where are you going to sleep?"

"On the bed of course." She replied indifferently. Hadrian sputtered. "What with me?"

She looked at him amused for a moment. "Is it uncommon for mothers to sleep beside their children where you are from?"

"No I don't suppose it is but you're not really my mother are you?" he said uncomfortably.

"Perhaps not but you'd best get used to it,. Because if what mother said was true and we end up going with them, we'll have to share sleeping space then to." Morrigan said rather thoughtfully. Hadrian paled. She was right after all.

"You need not fear me child as I have no wish to harm you." Morrigan said sitting upon the bed gazing into his large green eyes. He sighed. "I know its just weird I've never shared a bed with anybody at all."

Morrigan smiled darkly before putting on a fake pout. "Does that mean you don't want to cuddle up next to your mother? I'm hurt my sweet Hadrian doesn't feel comfortable around me."

Hadrian blushed bright red before hanging his head and crawling into bed. His last thought before he focused on going to sleep was. Damn. This is going to be harder than I thought.


	5. the journey begins, and crossdressing?

Hadrian woke up to find his face buried in Morrigan's cleavage. His eyes widen and he began to back up. Only to find out that his pseudo mom was a hugger. He tried to stay calm and wriggle his way out of her grasp, but it was working like a boa constrictor. The more he wriggled the tighter her grasp seemed to get. Finally he began to poke her softly and say.

"Morrigan, Morrigan. Wake up please I can't breathe."

She loosed her grasp and let him up before rising up herself. She yawned, stretched and looked at Hadrian. "Did you sleep well my dear child?" she asked in a mischievous voice.

Hadrian blushed ferociously. "Y-yes I did in fact sleep very comfortably. Right up till I woke up, and found myself unable to get up."

"Well I'm glad you didn't have to hard a time getting to sleep." Morrigan teased.

"Yea well I'm going to go you the facilities." Hadrian said, still blushing as he walked out the door. He walked down the stairs, and out the door only to find Alistair gazing at the large pond.

"Did you sleep at all?" Hadrian asked in concern.

Alistair started in surprise. "What?"

"I asked if you had slept at all?" Hadrian reiterated.

Alistair smiled grimly. "No I couldn't stop worrying about what had happened. It's a good possibility that I'm the last grey warden in all of fareldan."

Hadrian nodded. It sounded bad. He really didn't want to think about what could have happened when him, Hermione, and Ron went down the trapdoor. Hadrian thought for a moment before saying. "If you aren't ready to think about it then maybe you should practice you sword play. I know when I almost lost my friends I was so freaked out; I wasn't able to function when they weren't around. Hermione suggested that I practice my magic when I was alone so I wouldn't have to think about it too much. It really helped."

Alistair nodded. It made sense. Of course it was lucky for Hadrian that Alistair was fairly distraught as he had just spilled the beans that he hadn't always been with Morrigan, and Flemeth. They simply stared at the water's edge until the door open behind them and Flemeth exited with the girl. Alistair almost broke into tears at the sight of her exiting the building.

"I thought- I thought I had lost you to." He managed to choke out.

She smiled softly. "No I'm still here."

Hadrian watched the byplay between the two, and wondered why they were acting like they were afraid to touch one another. He didn't have much time to think about it as Flemeth asked them what their plan was.

"Well we have the treaties." The girl said.

"They may help against the darkspawn but something must be done about Loghain as well." Alistair said angrily. "Cailen was a bit fanciful but he was a good king and a good man, he didn't deserve that."

"Do you have a suggestion?" she asked.

"We could go to Arl Eamon. He would be able to call the bannon. They would set Loghain down, then we could take care of the darkspawn." He said.

Hadrian nodded. It was a good plan. "So who are the treaties for?" he asked.

"Well the Dalish, the circle, and the dwarves." She answered looking to Hadrian.

"What are you going to do?" Hadrian asked. "Who are you going after first the Arl or the treaties."

"Well we need to get the treaty signers to lend their support but the Arl might be the smart choice." She said thoughtfully. Hadrian watched them talk it over. They continued to debate about the pros and cons of where they would go first.

Morrigan walked from the house and said. "So will there be two guests for dinner or none?"

Flemeth looked from the grey wardens to morrigan and said. "The wardens are leaving girl and you and Hadrian shall be accompanying them."

Morrigan smiled condescendingly before saying. "Such a sha-what?!"

Hadrian had to cover his face to keep from laughing at the three shocked faces. Flemeth however seemed dead serious. "You are always talking about wanting to train Hadrian in different place and letting him see the world. Well he can get real life experience this way plus he has a number of abilities that will help them and you. They will need all the help they can get."

Alistair was shocked. Granted he would have been against taking morrigan but Hadrian looked ten for Andraste's sake! "No! Absolutely not! We are not taking a child into combat against the darkspawn!"

"And just where do you think they will come next?" Flemeth asked pointedly. "I can fight them off of me perfectly well but not with my grandson needing to be protected. Now if he goes with you he'll learn to fight in a safer environment than a whole horde falling down upon him."

"Does he have any combat ready skills?" the girl asked.

"Nria you can't be serious!" Alistair said in surprise.

"She's right Alistair." The girl said indicating Flemeth. "If he stays here the likelihood of his injury or death is a lot higher than if he goes with us."

Alistair seemed to really think about this situation, before finally nodding his assent. "Your right I suppose. Who knows, he might wind up saving us all."

Morrigan had been silent up till then said. "come Hadrian we need to prepare to leave." Hadrian followed her to the room and watched as she opened a trunk and pulled out what looked like a long sleeve dress, which was a glimmering black color with little crystals in the fabric. She handed it to harry saying;

"This is a set of typical mage robes. They will help you to not stand out as much as the horrid rags you are currently wearing. Also they will not fall off of you when you transform into an animal."

Hadrian took the robe and looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure this isn't a dress?" he asked her looking from it to her trying to find some hint of deception.

"As a matter of fact it is a female cut set of robes, my own from when I was your age. However at the moment as small as you are they will fit you fine. Now put them on while I get you a staff and pack the rest of what we will be taking."

Hadrian glared at her before removing all of Dudley's hand me downs and slipping into the robe. He was ashamed that he actually liked the way the soft clothe clung to his body. He looked down and gazed at himself, but found that he couldn't get an accurate read on his looks.

"There is a full length mirror on the wall." Morrigan said without looking at him. He turned to gaze at the mirror. He was surprised to see that he looked very much like a young girl. He supposed it had to do with the lack of food from the Dursley's. The black cloth clung to his torso giving the illusion of a slim waist, and flared at the hips showing off what he supposed looked like a young girls developing body. He frowned at the being before him. If his hair was longer he would truly seem like a girl.

As he thought this his hair lengthened to his waist. To which he yelped. Morrigan spun around to see what was wrong, only to recoil at the sight of the small pale girl in Hadrian's place. Hadrian spun around to ask what was going on only to see Morrigan's shocked expression and realize she hadn't done anything.

"Have you ever seen anyone with such an ability?" morrigan asked in surprise.

Hadrian thought hard to what he had learned at Hogwarts. Then he nodded. "There was a girl. She could change her looks at will."

Morrigan nodded tentatively. "Can you change back?"

Hadrian focused on his previous hair length. Soon his hair was back to it normal sloppy in need of a good brushing self, and now that he had calmed down he realized he hated it. He grew his hair to just past his shoulders and gazed at himself in the mirror. He liked it this way and decided he would keep it. He slid his wand into the sleeve of his new robes just as Hedwig flew into the room. She perched on his shoulder and eyed him carefully, before nipping his ear affectionately. He smiled and said.

"Does that mean you approve?" to which she bobbed her head. He turned to see morrigan gazing at him with a look of amusement. She handed him a staff and said. "I'll teach you some new spells while we are on the road."

They made their way out of the house to see Nria and Alistair waiting. Alistair looked at him funny, but Nria just smiled knowingly.

"Well let's get this show on the road." Alistair said taking off towards the north. Nria followed with Hadrian and morrigan bringing up the rear. They walked in a mostly northward direction for three hours before they come up on the sounds of a fight. A large dog, which Alistair and Nria seemed to know was fighting against four darkspawn. And what was more, it was winning! Hadrian pulled his wand out of his sleeve and yelled.

"petrificus totalus!" while aiming at the largest of the creatures. It snapped to attention before falling on its back, only for the dog to rip its throat out. About that time, Alistair arrived beside the dog to shield bash one and decapitate another, which morrigan had frozen solid. An arch of lightning blasted from the tip of Nria's staff and blew a hole the size of a grapefruit into the chest of another, while Alistair and the dog simultaneously attacked the last one alive. Alistair went forward to stab it in the throat and the dog grabbed its leg to make sure it didn't get away.

The battle was over in less than five minutes, but Hadrian's adrenaline was up and his heart was pounding in his chest. Morrigan looked at him with something akin to pride in her eyes. And Nria went over to the dog. It was covered in gore from the fight, so Hadrian cast a scorgify on it and Alistair before putting up his wand.

"Isn't this the hound we helped cure?" she asked Alistair. He looked at it before nodding tentatively. "it's possible that since you where directly responsible for its continued life that it bonded with you when you gave it the medicine. That would mean he's been out here looking for you for hours now."

She nodded before looking at the dog, who was watching her patiently. "I guess I have to give you a name huh?" she asked rhetorically.

The dog barked affirmatively. Nria thought for a moment, before saying. "I'm going to call you Fen'harel the dread wolf." The newly named Fen'harel barked in appreciation.

"Well let's keep moving we have a lot of ground between here and Lothering." Alistair said before facing northward and walking away again. They all followed him away. He was right after all. They only had so many hours of daylight.

Well there it is. I hope you all like it. If you don't then by all means don't read it. Please remember that there is a poll for this story and I will give you all some basic idea of what the different eyes will do.

The undying horror's, which in my story is going to be a master vamp, will work like the sharingan in as much as things will seem to be in slow motion.

The high dragon's eye will let him see in infrared, which will allow him to always see whoever is around even if they are invisible.

And finally the basilisk's eye will work as though it were still attached to said basilisk.


	6. lothering and the strength of a giant

They made continued on northward. It took another two hours to see the outline of Lothering. They were almost there when they were stopped by a group of twenty-five men.

"You look like you're carrying heavy packs." The leader said looking at Alistair. "Perhaps we can help you lighten the load."

Nria stepped forward and said. "Can I help you in some way gentlemen? Like perhaps melting the skin from your bones?"

"Them don't look like refugees." One of the more dense men stated cautiously.

"We aren't here to hassle refugees. We are collecting a tax for the upkeep of the imperial highway." The leader said in exasperation.

"Oh." The other said in understanding. "so even if they aren't refugees they still have to pay."

Hadrian stepped forward, with Hedwig on his shoulder and said. Excuse me sir but did you say your collection an imperial tax?"

"Why yes little girl I did." The man said in an exaggeratedly joyful voice.

Hadrian's eye twitched, and much to his ire the adults all snickered at his predicament. He glared at the man before saying. "I look like this because I want to, however that doesn't make me any less of a boy. And just so you know you stupid man you can't possibly be tax collectors as they carry a royal seal. Furthermore they are usually low end nobles, who go around in carriages surrounded by military trained warriors. Neither of which is you! So no, we won't be giving you any moneys. In fact because we will be needing a lot of resources to fight in the war, we will be taking all the coin that you have stolen from all the travelers who have passed this way!" with that said Hadrian pulled out his wand and fired off body bind spells as fast as he could.

The adults, who had been watching in awe as Hadrian gave the highwaymen the dressing down the so rightly deserved, quickly readied themselves ad jumped into the fray. With Fen'harel ripping the throats out of the petrified men, morrigan, and Nria were blasting the men with fireballs and lightning bolts respectively, and Alistair was wading through the bandits like a man possessed.

"Please stop! Wait we surrender!" the words came out of the leader who was on his knees over one of his men. This earned him some points with Hadrian as he was firmly between Alistair and the downed man. "Please we surrender. No more please."

Alistair gazed at the panicked man and said why should we spare you? We let you live and anyone you harm will be blood on our hands."

"We won't we will stop. We swear." The leader practically begged.

"You will be given one chance to prove that your intentions are honorable." Hadrian said before anyone could say anything. "You have to strip, and leave everything here. If you do this then you can live as it will show that you are willing to set your pride aside and survive. If you don't you'll end up like the other thirteen."

The leader nodded before standing up and stripping off his clothes and armor. The man he had been defending did as well. The others were more hesitant. "you will either do as the girl-uh I mean boy says or so help me I'll help him kill you. I will not allow my brother to die for your pride." That did it. They quickly disrobed and left. The adults looked at Hadrian for a while before Alistair said.

"You are a truly frightening child. You know that right?"

"Yea that's what her-mom keeps telling me." He said happily.

"Yea he is so very good at what he does." Morrigan said mirthfully.

"Well let's keep going we need to find supplies, and maybe help some of these people." Nria said looking at the refugees. Hadrian nodded then he began picking up the coin and weapons from the highwaymen. "Maybe we could send the people back for their stuff."

"Then we should also check at the tavern for any paying jobs that would be easy to do." Alistair said with a common nod.

"I'll take the chanter's board." Alistair said evenly.

"Well I'll check the tavern and refugee camp." Nria said with a thoughtful look.

"Well then I will be taking Hadrian out of the city limits to search for medicinal and poisonous plants."

"Very well please don't put the poisonous plants with the food stuffs." Alistair said walking away.

Nria walked away from the duo with Fen'harel shaking her head at Alistair's antics. Hadrian looked up to morrigan and said. "is this when you're going to teach me some more magic?"

"Yes I believe you should learn to use your magic either with no hands or through the staff." She said seriously. "Your wand is a good tool for the lighter side of magic but it will only hinder you when it comes to battle magics."

Hadrian scrunched his face up in confusion. "If my wand only hinders my magic why use it at all?"

"Because it will allow you to focus on very point specific tasks. Using your wand will make opening a lock easier, while a staff will make blasting a whole through somebody easier." She explained.

Hadrian nodded. He followed morrigan out of the city, only to stop at a large cage. Inside was a large humanoid creature. He was insanely well muscled, and had grey skin. He also had a pair of six inch horns protruding from his head. Hadrian looked at him for a moment. The being returned his gaze.

"Is there something you want child?" the creature asked.

"Why are you locked up?" Hadrian asked cocking his head to the side.

"I caged myself with a weak mind. Because of this I was caged here to die." He answered.

"I could let you out." Hadrian said with a look of uncertainly.

"It would do no good. I have no purpose." He said hanging his head.

"You could help me. I'm traveling with the last of the grey wardens, we have to find a way to stop the blight." Hadrian said thoughtfully.

"I would help you if that is what you wish." He said. "I am Sten of the Beresaad, vanguard of the Qunari people."

"I am Hadrian." Hadrian told him before pulling his wand out of the sleeve of his robes. "alohamora." He said pointing at the lock.

"You are a boy, yes?" Sten asked in confusion as the cage swung open.

Hadrian nodded as he stepped back, letting Sten exit the cage. "Yes I am in fact a boy."

"Why are you dressed as a girl?" Sten asked him perplexedly.

Hadrian blushed before ducking his head away from Sten's gaze, and mumbling something under his breath.

"You enjoy the way the feel?" Sten asked in confusion. "Would it not be better to wear breeches like other boys?"

Hadrian shook his head defiantly. "I'm not like other boys so why should I pretend to be?"

Sten seemed to think about this for a moment, and then he nodded. "That makes a kind of sense."

Morrigan had watched the entire scene unfold. She smiled at Hadrian's ability to get people to see things his way. It was an ability that would serve him well later in life.

"What exactly were you coming to do out here?" Sten asked gazing intently at Hadrian.

"I'm learning about medicinal and poisonous plants, and possibly some new spells to help in a fight." Hadrian said simply.

"So you were training." Sten said with a nod. "It is good to train. It will make you better equipped to deal with life."

"Yea I know. Mom wants to make me as ready as she can." Hadrian said happily.

"Well let us go and find these plants." Morrigan said enthusiastically. Hadrian nodded and began following her. Sten followed him. They walked through the field until they came up on a large cluster of silvery flowers.

"Hadrian I want you to memories this plant's characteristics. This is called elfroot. It is the main ingredient in most the healing potions that are used for a quick heal on the battlefield. Now pay attention to how I harvest the usable parts." She said and beginning to pluck leaves from their stems. Hadrian watched thinking about how this seemed an awful lot like herbology. Unfortunately this was not going to work. The quickly noticed that the area sounded way to quiet.

"There is someone here." Sten stated stoically.

Three men stepped into the glade. The largest, who stood the same height as Sten said. "Lookie here boys. We got ourselves a family out on the picnic."

Sten sneered at the three bandits, before saying. "Continue your lesson child; I will take care of the rabble." Before Hadrian could protest Sten was charging the fools. He clotheslined the first one, before kicking the second full in the face. Both lay on the ground twitching. Hadrian's eye bugged out as he witnessed the pure physical strength that Sten possessed. Sten then casually walked towards the third and final thug. The thug swung his sword wildly at Sten. only for Sten to grasp him wrist, then grab his throat he casually threw the thugs arm over his shoulder, and picked him straight up by the throat and choke slam him into the ground breaking his neck. Hadrian had been unable to take his eyes off the monster beside him. That man had to have weighed over three hundred pounds in that steel plate mail.

Hadrian quickly turned around and went back to his impromptu lesson, as Sten field dressed the three men. After the lesson was done Hadrian turned around to see Sten, clothed in the armor of the largest bandit, lying against a tree watching them. He nodded to acknowledge them before asking.

"Did you have any troubles with your lesson?"

Hadrian shook his head, while staring at the Qunari in awe. "It was a good lesson. Mom explained it all so I could understand easier."

"It is good to learn at the feet of your parents. They are always the most patient teachers." Sten said with an understanding nod.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to meet up with the grey wardens now. Morrigan said with a satisfied smile. Hadrian nodded his assent, and turned a questioning gaze on sten. Sten nodded and stood up. "let us join your friends."


	7. tensions in the group

Hadrian walked behind morrigan. Sten was flanking them looking imposing. Kind of like a really good body guard. Hadrian found it amusing that they hadn't been attacked by any of the highwaymen lurking around. They all seemed intimidated by the armored Qunari. Soon they were at the edge of town, and they saw Nria and Fen'harel watching as Alistair bartered with a trader. There was a young woman with short brunette hair. She was dressed in leather armor, and had a long bow in her hand. "Are those the companions you spoke of?" Sten asked watching them intently. It seemed to Hadrian that he seemed to be measuring their worth, but in truth he was thinking what would be the quickest way to kill all four if it came to that.

"Yes the elf and the templar reject are grey wardens; the dog found us on the way to Lothering and the young woman is a new addition." Morrigan said thoughtfully gazing at the woman. The threesome walked towards the others. Nria spotted them first and arched an eyebrow at Sten but said nothing. Fen'harel noticed them and trotted over to Hadrian, who scratched the war dog behind the ears. Sten noticeable relaxed went the dog nuzzled Hadrian. Nria and morrigan both notice the Qunari's seeming protectiveness to the effeminate boy. Neither said anything though.

"Hey boy did you miss me?" Hadrian asked still petting the dog.

Fen'harel merely barked in acknowledgement.

A small smile graced Hadrian's lips. "I missed you to."

"Its good to see you found your way back." Nria teased morrigan before turning to Hadrian leaving morrigan looking bemused. "Did you have a good lesson Hadrian?"

"Yep. I learned a lot about elfroot, and I got to watch Sten completely destroy three bandits with his bare hands. We really need to get him either a great sword or a hammer." Hadrian said nodding his head with much enthusiasm.

Nria looked at the Qunari. He looked back. Neither blinked, both weighing in the opponent in front of them. To Sten, Nria was a tiny wisp of a thing he could break with little force. To Nria, Sten was a slow lumbering giant that would be easily dispatched with a lightning bolt to the chest. Both were wrong in their assumptions but it didn't matter. As both knew that Hadrian wouldn't like it if they fought. The two stopped glaring at each other and nodded civilly.

"I am Nria mage and grey warden." Nria said with more than just a bit of steel in her voice. "The warrior is Alistair; he was trained as a templar before he was recruited to the wardens. Finally this is Leliana who was a sister of the chantry. She feels she has a quest from the maker to help us."

"I am Sten of the Beresaad, Vanguard of the Qunari peoples. I was imprisoned. I had no purpose anymore but the child Hadrian said that he would like my help against the blight. He seems to be following you which means by proxy so will I. however if your orders contradict his I will honor the child's wishes. He has much honor. I will help you but I will protect him with my life." Sten said his voice like the crunch of gravel beneath a booted foot.

Alistair had finished with the trader and was gazing at Sten stoically. "We seem fairly adept at picking up strays." He commented with a hint of humor. Hadrian glared at him reproachfully.

"I would think that a warrior so powerfully built would be a boon against the blight." Morrigan said condescendingly.

"Please we all have a common purpose, no? There is no reason for us to be fighting amongst ourselves." Leliana said soothingly trying to defuse the situation, before it could escalate to physical violence.

"Enough." Nria said with a voice filled to the brim with authority. "Hadrian has brought us a companion in this fight against a whole army. Sten has pledged to follow Hadrian, and by proxy us, into battle. I see no reason against this action."

Alistair nodded in understanding. Leliana was letting out a sigh of relief. Morrigan smirked. And Hadrian smiled up at Sten who returned it if only a little. They turned and began walking from the town, back to the highway. They arrived at the entrance only to see a pair of dwarves being surrounded by darkspawn. Hadrian drew his wand and shouted "diffindo!" while pointing at one of the Hurlocks.

Blood erupted out of its neck. The others were also attacking. Morrigan's staff was expelling a stream of white hot flame, reminiscent of a flamethrower. Nria was launching purple bolts of psychic energy. Sten was grappling with the largest opponent. Both had a hold of the overly large Hurlock's hammer. Sten kicked the Hurlock in the knee. The blow shattered the bone causing the Hurlock to lose the battle for the hammer, then his life. Alistair was cutting and bashing his way through the group. And Fen'harel was knocking over the genlocks and ripping their throats out before dancing around the others.

After the battle was over, Hadrian looked at the corpse of a mage. It was obvious that he had died in the ambush. Hadrian looked through his stuff. He found three test tube sized beakers of a bright red liquid. He put then in his pack rolled up in a bit of clothe, and continued his search. He found a bit of money which he added to his collection. He also found a small ritual dagger. It seemed to be carved from bone and sharpened by magic. He instinctively knew that it wasn't a weapon for fighting but rather a tool used for magic. He had a fleeting thought that his blood would look so beautiful decorating the blade, and possibly the ground, before he shook his head and cleared the image. He took the dagger and its sheathe, thinking that it would be best if no one knew of the weapon.

He turned to see Nria talking to the older dwarf. She seemed to be nodding in understanding. He didn't know what they were saying but then again it wasn't really any of his business so he didn't care either. He walked over to morrigan and said.

"Mother can you teach me how to use lightning?"

"Lightning? No I do not know how to control lightning or earth. They were never taught to me. However I can teach you to cast a fire ball and perhaps if Nria has time she could teach you to wield lightning." Morrigan said with a thoughtful expression.

Hadrian nodded. It made perfect sense. If the person you had to teach you didn't know the talent you wanted to learn…well then ask someone else. Sten had been watching Hadrian intently since the battle was over. He walked over and said. "Perhaps you should show your mother the dagger you found."

Hadrian scowled at him for revealing the treasure, but complied. He pulled the dagger from his pack and with supreme effort of will handed it to morrigan. She gazed at the dagger intently.

"Did you cut yourself with this weapon?" she asked demandingly.

"no." he stammered backing up in shock. She gazed at him even more intently. Then she nodded, and handed the blade to sten.

"Please destroy this dagger as it has a blood magic curse on it." She said sounding appalled at the notion of blood magic.

Sten unsheathed the blade before stabbing it between two cobblestones and snapping the blade. Hadrian had not wanted the blade to break. It was after all such a pretty thing, but once it broke he realized that it was actually quiet macabre. Its blade had depicted a demoness who seemed to be pleasuring herself. He honestly didn't know what to think. And it obviously showed on his face because morrigan said.

"It had a compulsion on it. Anyone who didn't realize that it was a blood magic tool would have tried to bleed themselves dry just too wet the blade. Luckily you had the presence of mind to realize it was a magical tool and didn't cut yourself with it. It would have been addicting to feel the bite of the blade. You would have killed yourself to feel the feeling."

By this point Hadrian's already pale skin was pasty. He turned to Sten and stammered out his thanks for bringing the blade to Morrigan's attention.

"There is no need to thank me. There are many such cursed items that you must watch out for." Sten told him patiently. "Please try to remember that next time you feel the urge to hide something from your mother."

Hadrian nodded emphatically that he would remember.

x-x-x-x-x x-x-x-x-x

That night after they made camp Hadrian was curled up in Morrigan's tent snuggled into her side. He had thought about the days events. It had been full of surprises. From meeting two new companions, to all that had been going on in Lothering. He could hear Nria tossing and turning in her sleep from what sounded like a nightmare. Sten was lying against a tree ten feet from the campfire beside Morrigan's tent. Leliana was kipped beside Nria and Alistair. And Fen'harel was asleep in front of the main camp fire. He knew that the dwarf, Bodahn Feddic, and his son sandal were sleeping in their item wagon.

He listened in when Nria was startled awake and Alistair explained that the dreams were a grey warden's ability to sense the Archdemon. Hadrian tried to put it out of his mind and get some sleep.


	8. the brecilian forest

Hadrian woke up to find that he had remembered that his pseudo mom was a hugger. He had slept facing away from her but he awoke to find her spooning against him with her breasts firmly planted on the back of his head. He was wondering how he was going to wake her up when he heard.

"I see you're awake. That is good we need to pack up the sleeping stuff and get ready to head out. We will have a few weeks travel to make it anywhere from the edges of Lothering." Morrigan's silky voice told him easily. Hadrian nodded before he began helping her pack up the items into a bigger on the inside than the outside backpack. After they were all done Hadrian cast a quick scourgify on himself and morrigan, effectively cleaning the sweat from sleeping in outside on a hot humid night off their bodies.

"Go fly with your familiar while the adults decide where we are to go. Meet us back here before we leave, and I'll begin teaching you to manipulate fire or ice." She said looking at him encouragingly.

Hadrian nodded his head before turning into the black feathered version of Hedwig. His emerald eyes found Hedwig in a tree watching him intently. He whooped happily and shot up towards her. She flew from the branch and began circling him. On the ground the adults all watched amazed as the white owl with golden amber eyes and the black owl with emerald green ones chased each other, and seemed to be playing tag. Soon the two owls disappeared over the horizon.

Hadrian flew through the trees dodging here and there through the tree limbs. Hedwig was directly behind him following happy to be spending time in the air with her harry, the way it should be. Just their own wings and no brooms to hold him up. It was glorious. The only way it could be better was if he was a real owl, but at least he could fly with her. Nothing else mattered.

They flew like that for several hours, before going back only for Hadrian to change back to human and start walking towards the large forest off in the distance. He listened intently to what was being said by morrigan as to how to control ice with magic. He soaked it up like a sponge but realized that it was still going to take weeks to get this spell down, as he first had to learn to properly use the staff he had.

x-x-x-x-x x-x-x-x-x

Albus Dumbledore gazed around the room. He had most of the teachers of Hogwarts, and quite a few people who weren't standing in his office. He sighed before stating something that caused the crowds blood to run cold, well most of the crowd.

"Two nights ago there was a high fluctuation of magical energy at number four privat drive." He stated rubbing his temples.

`A scruffy looking man dressed in a ragged tan suit and unkempt brown hair stepped forward. "Albus do you know if harry is alright?"

"Sadly Remus I have no idea at the moment." The old man said shaking his bowed head. "I checked the area of Harry's room only to find what appeared to be the remnants of a portal of some kind. I don't even have an accurate assumption of where he went."

Professor McGonagall stepped forward and said. "How could this happen Albus? What could possible cause this portal?"

"Again I don't know." Dumbledore stated upset. "I have no theories at this time but I assure you that while I have no idea where he is at the moment I know him to be safe. You see I have monitoring charms on the boy that report him to be in perfect health." That last was a lie. At least as far as the perfect health went. In fact Dumbledore knew the instant harry had been struck by his uncle. He also knew something had cause the boy to feint. The charms were cast by the elder wand after all but of course he wouldn't want them to find out that harry had been abused most of his life. They might try to remove him from the Dursley's. And that wasn't at all what Dumbledore wanted. He wanted nothing more or less than a very subservient little martyr whom he could strip of his powers and sacrifices him to destroy tom when the time came. But again they didn't need to know that.

"Will you tell us if anything changes?" Remus asked pleading with the older wiser mage.

"Of course I will Remus." The old manipulator said with a grandfatherly expression. He truly did have every intention to tell them as soon as harry turned up. It would relieve their fears and get them to back off. And that was something he wanted very much.

x-x-x-x-x x-x-x-x-x

Hadrian was currently flying through the sky with Hedwig. They didn't stray too far from the main group as the large trees had a deep foreboding feel to them. It had been a month sense they left Lothering and began towards the Brecilian forest. After they had entered the woods they traveled cautiously through the ancient trees. They really didn't want to get lost. However even being cautious they made good time due to an old spell morrigan knew that allowed the spell caster to know instinctively where to go. They had been walking through the trees for about three weeks now and were getting uneasy.

"So are there actually elves in these woods or are we barking up the wrong tree here?" Alistair asked trying to lighten the mood. Unfortunately it was after that comment that they were surrounded by an Elven hunting party with bows drawn.

"There are indeed elves her human. Perhaps you would do well to curb your tongue." The elf stated looking down an arrow at Alistair's face, which was rapidly paling. Morrigan couldn't help but laugh merrily.

"I have been saying the same thing for quite a while now but he would not listen to me." She quipped. His fear forgotten he scowled at her.

Hadrian landed on Morrigan's right shoulder prompting Hedwig to land on her left.

"Why are you here?" the lead elf asked impatiently.

Nria pulled the treaty scroll from her pouch and handed it to him saying. "I'm a grey warden we need the elves help with the blight."

The elf took the scroll and checked it for authenticity, before stating. "lower your weapons we need to take them to Zathrian."


	9. the truth comes outoops

Hadrian stayed on morrigan shoulder as they were led into the Dalish camp. They were lead up to a lithely built bald elf in mage robes. He gazed at them all intently, before asking.

"Why have you come here?"

Nria stepped forwards and said. "I am Nria of the grey wardens."

"Ah." He said in understanding. "You are here about the treaties sign for aide in times of a blight. Normally I would be more than happy to lend aide to you in this venture. Unfortunately my clan has been attacked by werewolves of late. Many of my hunters have been murdered. Many more suffer from this disease."

Many eyes widened at this news. "Why haven't you moved away from the area then?"

Zathrian sighed heavily, before saying. "We would be gone by now but the beasts circle us. They refuse to allow us to leave. They seem determined to wipe us out."

"Perhaps we can help each other." Nria said making a subtle offer.

"Perhaps we could what is it you want?" Zathrian asked suspiciously.

"We need your help with the blight. You are indisposed perhaps we could clear your obstacles." Nria said speaking plainly.

"I would gladly uphold the Dalishes' agreement to offer aid during the blight if they aforementioned hindrances were taken care of." Zathrian said with a smirk. "you will have to go into the ruins of the forest to get to the great white wolf Whitherfang. It is from him that this curse started and in bringing his heart I can end it."

"We will do this then. I only have one request." Nria said looking at Zathrian, before turning to morrigan. "I would request Hadrian stay here in the camp where it is safe."

"I see no reason why he should go with us to kill werewolves so I have no problem with it." She said in agreement. Hadrian however didn't agree. So he hopped off her shoulder, and glided to the ground before transforming into his human form.

"I have to go with you mother." He protested. "What can I do here while you disappear? I have to learn to fight real opponents eventually."

She looked at him searchingly before turning to Zathrian. "can one of your medicine makers teach him the various uses for elfroot in curative potions?"

Zathrian nodded reluctantly. "I can have it arranged for him to train with our healers."

Morrigan nodded at this. She then turned to sten. "you'll watch over him?" she asked looking at the steel clad giant.

"He will not leave my sight." Sten told her. Hadrian looked up at the giant with a look of utter betrayal.

"Why would you keep me locked up in such a way?" he asked almost brokenly. Morrigan flinched at the remark. Sten noticed this and gave her a look of puzzlement. He turned his gaze on Hadrian, and said.

"This is no cage child. It is a safety net, used to teach children to swim without fear of drowning."

Hadrian looked at Sten uncertainly. "So you're not just keeping me out of it because you're adults that think they know best? I've been fighting all my life and if I can survive the Dursley's then I am much too stubborn to be killed by a werewolf!"

After the words had escaped his mouth he gasped and covered his mouth with his hand. However it was too late. Every single person who had been traveling with them had wondered about Morrigan's uncommonly feminine son, as well as his strange breed of magic.

"What are you talking about child? Who are these Dursley's? And why did you have to survive them?" Sten asked his voice like the calm before a great thunderstorm.

Alistair had moved behind morrigan, and Leliana was kneeling in front of Hadrian. She looked into his eyes and saw something broken inside. Morrigan just sighed.

"Tell them Hadrian we knew they would find out sooner or later." She told his with resignation.

"I was born in another world…" he started. He wove his tale from his earliest memories of the Dursley's to his first year at Hogwarts. He explained everything he knew about magic. He told them of finding out about Voldemort killing his parents. And fighting his possessed teacher to protect the stone. He told them of his and Ron's misadventure with the troll. He mentioned Hagrid's dragon Norbert. He finally brought up how he had came to this world.

After he had explained everything the group had to request a place to camp among the Dalish so that they could have time to digest this. They each had their own thoughts that ranged from killing the Dursley's in the harshest manner possible, to obliterating Dumbledore as it seemed to be his idea to send harry there in the first place.

In the end though it was agreed that Hadrian would go with them into the forest. Ha would also be trained in everything they could possible teach him so if he wound up back in his own world he would be strong enough to take care of himself. It was with these heavy thoughts that the group laid down to go to sleep. None would get more than a few hours as they all stayed awake to the sound of Hadrian crying into the embrace of his pseudo mother. He was truly at a loss as to what to feel and wound up crying himself to sleep

Sorry guys I know it's a short chapter but hey it is up. Now I will be posting on Naruto: the uzumaki's return next so keep an eye out and much love to all my reviewers.


	10. the rhyming oak and hadrian's baby

Hadrian woke up to find morrigan stroking his back soothingly. Instead of getting up like he normally would he snuggled into her chest. She just continued to stroke his back lovingly. He didn't know what to make of it. She was hugging him. The first hug he received was just a few months ago from Hermione, and he had flinched from the contact. It had scared him. But with morrigan he could literally feel love through the embrace. It was….nice.

He finally got up and the raven haired duo began to store their camping stuff. Neither mentioned the previous night. It was still to fresh for Hadrian and it didn't really matter to morrigan. When they were done breaking down there camp, they walked over to the others. They had decided to enter the forest's depths as a group and it was obvious that they would stick to it. They gathered together and did a final check over their packs before departing into the woods.

They traveled a few hundred yards from the Dalish camp before they were surrounded by werewolves. A large tawny colored werewolf steeped forward.

"Why have you come here?" he asked in a bestial growl.

"We have come to rid the forest of the werewolf curse." Nria told him looking unfazed by the werewolves' presence in the least.

"Is that so? Then why is it we saw you not only leaving the Dalish camp this day. But also keeping their company last night." The creature asked.

"They asked us to rid the forest of the curse in exchange for their help to fight a larger enemy." Nria said slowly. "However they never said that you could talk. In fact they claimed you were little more than mindless beasts."

"They sent you to kill Whitherfang did they not?" it asked angrily.

"They said it would end the curse." Nria said evenly.

"At the cost of all of our lives." The beast roared. "Do we not deserve the chance to live our lives as well as any others? Is our bestial nature just so foul a thing that we should die for being born as such?"

"Why is it you are like this?" Hadrian asked getting the beast's attention.

"It is a curse that Zathrian himself put on our ancestors." The beast said turning to the child-mage. "They deserved to die but was it truly right to punish future generations with this curse for a crime we had no hand in committing?"

Hadrian looked at him for a moment. Their eyes met and Hadrian saw flashes of the beast's life. From the freedom of running through the large ancient trees to meeting a forest spirit who gave him reason. Finally he got a name.

He looked away clutching his head. Morrigan was at his side in an instant. Her hands glowed with magic waiting to strike. Only for Hadrian to scream.

"No mother it wasn't Swiftrunner's fault." Morrigan turned to look at Hadrian searchingly. The werewolf however was in shock.

"How do you know my name mage child?" he asked slightly menacingly.

"I'm not sure I just saw flashes. I saw you running, I saw a naked lady with green skin and trees on her hands. And I heard her call you Swiftrunner." Hadrian said timidly.

Swiftrunner hummed softly. "If you truly wish to free us of this curse then you will have to speak with the lady of the forest. She is the spirit the child saw."

"We would speak with her if at all possible." Nria said with a nod. Swiftrunner looked at her and nodded. "Beware of our rabid kindred. They are the mindless beasts you have heard about." With that said Swiftrunner and the rest turned and ran off through the woods. After they had all gone the entire party let out an unconscious breath. They took a few minutes to gather themselves before continuing onward. It was soon very obvious to them why Zathrian had forbid his hunters from doing exactly what they were doing. In the space of a single hour they had been attacked by no less than fifteen werewolves and three sylvans. They had found ironbark, which according to Leliana the elves master crafter had requested they look for and bring back in any was to be found. They harvested the bark from the ironwood tree, the heartwoods of the three sylvans and the werewolves' pelts.

They were walking through the woods looking for any sign of the ruins, when they came up on a large sylvan. It stood thirty feet tall. It looked down at them and began speaking. It asked what manner of creatures they were. And whether they were there to attack him. Hadrian thought it was funny to meet a tree that talked. But he thought it was hilarious to find the tree could only speak in rhymes.

After a long chat about the forest and the ruins it was decided that if the liberated the sylvans offspring, which was a basketball size acorn, that he would give then a limb of his to form a staff that would allow them access into the ruins. It seemed that the ruins were guarded by magic woven into the forest to keep out intruders.

After much complaining from Alistair and much more sarcasm from morrigan, it was decided that, they would go and get the acorn. They tracked down the nut thief, only to find a crazed wizard who talked to himself.

"Beware this one." Morrigan said lightly. "He is but a step away from becoming an abomination."

"Who are you? Did THEY send you?" he asked angrily jerking around.

"Can he possible be of any use or should we just kill him?" Sten asked gripping his hammer tightly.

"Well I vote for killing him as he is much too dangerous to let live. He seems to be talking to demons and that's never good." Alistair said lowly gazing suspiciously at the crazy hermit.

"Strangely I find some since in what Alistair says at the moment." Morrigan commented softly.

"Very well let's get ready for a battle then." Nria said with a sigh.

"No need." Alistair said pulling out a vial of glowing cobalt blue potion he downed it quickly at walked towards the hermit who was currently arguing with himself. Alistair grabbed the hermit's wrist and placed his right palm against the mage's forehead. The was a bright light and then the hermit was on the ground with blue symbols all over his body. Alistair was hunched over facing away from the group forcing himself to vomit up as much of the potion as possible. Nria was gazing at Alistair with a look of such sadness that Hadrian almost asked if she was ok only to feel Morrigan's arm on his shoulder. He looked up at her and was confused to see her shake her head subtly.

They soon recovered the acorn. They also found a helmet of silver and purple material. Alistair pulled a pair of matching boots from his pack and told them how he was given them in the chantry. They all made their way quickly back to the grand oak. Once they got there they handed him the acorn. Only for him to gaze at it sadly before handing it to Hadrian.

"I wish I could keep my little one tis true. Sadly I feel that for it to survive it must stay with you."

Hadrian looked at the giant acorn for a moment. Then he looked at the tree. "It has to stay with me?"

"I see that you will go to a far away land. You will travel with this distance with my acorn in hand. You will return to and find your green thumbed friend. It is there where my acorns journey shall end." The grand oak said in a melancholy filled voice. Then he looked at them and sighed. The great tree ripped a branch from his chest and said.

"With the branch you carry with thee, the forest shall see you as a tree."

"And seeing us as a tree is good because?" Alistair asked inquisitively.

"If the forest sees you as a tree, then no more shall it try to hinder thee." The tree stated sadly. "Now please go and leave me. For now alone I must be."

They left the tree and went a little ways off. Finally Hadrian couldn't stand the silence any longer and said. "so did anyone else find it weird that the tree gave me its baby?"

"I think it was saying that you would be a good mother." Nria teased his with a merciless grin.

"I think that it means you will need to keep the acorn with you at all times." Morrigan said pulling a small coin purse out of her backpack. She opened it up and indicated that he should put the acorn inside. He gazed at her skeptically, but put the acorn over the pouch. To his surprise the acorn seemed to shrink as it came into contact with the open pouch. Once inside she handed him the pouch so he could attach it to his belt.

"That pouch cannot be taken from you without your knowledge, and people who don't know it's there won't be able to see it." She said informatively.

Hadrian hugged her and said. "Thanks mom." Much to her embarrassment. They then began walking towards the ruins and whatever awaited them next.


	11. to much for one day

They arrived at the ruins to find a group of werewolves standing guard. Hadrian had to stare at them in awe. They were each well over seven feet tall. The fact that they were all taller than Sten intimidated Hadrian to no end. One stepped forward and said.

"I am to tell you that there are two ways to the lady of the forest. The first is through a door that is sealed shut. The second is to brave the ruins and delve into their deeps to a tunnel that leads to her chambers as well. Are you willing to brave the depths?"

Nria sighed. "It seems that for a peaceful solution it is the only way."

"Very well we hope you prove worthy to help with the removal of this curse on us." The werewolf said which caused many howls of approval. The group walked into the ruins and straight down the large broken staircase. The ruins were overrun with trees and plants. There were many old tevinter statues gazing around the place. There were also huge spider webs around every corner. They had to burn quite a few webs down just to go forward. They were making good time though. It was only a few times were they had to stop and fight anything.

They were making their way down a large spiraling staircase. There is no sound coming from anywhere around them, but they have gotten used to this by now. As they reach the bottom of the staircase however they find the bodies of various knights and templars.

Alistair gazed over the bodies. "Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks trying to cross this room is a bad idea."

"Your not." Morrigan said nonchalantly. "However we have no choice but cross the room for what we seek is on the other side."

Hadrian nodded at her logic, and followed behind her as he was followed by the rest. Everyone was on high alert. Sten had his hammer out looking all around. Alistair had his shield held high. Leliana had an arrow knocked. And Hadrian could feel the waves of magic being pooled inside of Nria and Morrigan, though while Morrigan's was like unto a raging inferno, Nria's was like a quiet gust of wind. It kind of made Hadrian wonder what his own felt like. Unfortunately for him he was nowhere near ready to try to pool so much magic at one time. His body just wasn't able to handle such a thing.

They trod quietly across the floor eyes roaming around for the slightest hint of trouble, until they heard it. A deep rumbling growl that bounced around the room and seemed to echo until it was a defining roar. Hadrian drastically paled as a dragon roughly twice the size of a Clydesdale horse landed in front of him. He freaked out and did the first thing that came to mind. He threw a fireball at the dragon's face. Needless to say, it was not impressed by his display of power over the element of fire and decided to show him exactly why. It opened its mouth and spewed out a torrent of white hot flames. Thankfully the flames where nullified by morrigan who was casting her cone of cold technique. The two attacks met each other and made the air thick with fog.

Nria chose then to blast the beast's side with a bolt of lightning from the tip of her staff. The bolt impacted like a boulder, knocking the dragon to the side. Sten, Alistair, and Fen'harel charged in and were attacking every available opening. Fen'harel latched onto its right wing and seemed to be trying to shred it. Alistair was trying to slash out its eyes with his sword. And Sten was slamming his hammer into the beast's legs. Hadrian was at a loss as to what to do. He was in awe of Nria and morrigan casting such high level magic's. Suddenly Hedwig swooped in. her snow white feathers made no sound as she dropped from the sky, claws outstretched. She slashed across the beast right eye. Alistair and Sten both moved to capitalize on this by Alistair slashing at its other eye when it jerked to the left, and Sten slamming his hammer down on it head with all of his might. The combined attacks had a very happily desired effect. As Alistair's sword struck the dragons eye, Sten's blow forced it's skull down the length of the blade. The dragon died with Alistair's blade impaled in its skull.

When everyone was sure that the trouble had passed, they relaxed. They soon were looking around the room at the horded treasures the dragon had stashed there. They found roughly twenty-five gold sovereigns, some a pair of glove that obviously belonged to the set that Alistair was collecting, and a bow that appeared to be made of dragon bone. It depicted a man leading a group across a great river, and through an archway. Leliana was ecstatic. She explained that this weapon was a century's old lost relic of the Dalish people. It was called Falon'din's Reach. She explained it was named after the Dalish god of the dead stating when it is their time no one escapes Falon'din's Reach.

They left the room with the dragons corpse. They had debated the pros and cons of trying to take the dragon's corpse with them but it was decided that it would be to time consuming to break it down into cartable pieces. And to space consuming even then, their expanded packs could only expand so much after all. So they continued onwards. It was already very taxing on them all but again they were on a schedule with a blood thirsty horde of monsters on their buts so they pushed onwards.

They soon came across a large hallway filled with skeletons and the ghost of a small elven child crying out for his mother. Nria tried to talk to him only for him to freak out and run away. Then the skeletons began to climb to their feet. Stem was the first to action. He swung his hammer and crushed the skull of one to dust. Its body followed to the ground. As if this was the release they all were waiting for they all begun to attack with fever. The battle lasted an hour in which all the skeletons were disintegrated and all the party was running on their last legs. Facing a skeletal army as well as a dragon in one day was a bit much. So it was decided they would bar the entrance and exit to the hall. Nria used a spell to make a wall grow out of the floor, only leaving it enough room for oxygen to circulate through then they promptly made camp and went to sleep.


	12. thoughts of gods and makeup

When Hadrian woke up he looked around the makeshift room he was in. The large earthen walls were standing proudly three quarters of the way t the corridors ceiling. Sten was resting against the wall with his hammer close at hand. Alistair was sleeping curled up beside Nria with his arm protectively across her waist. Morrigan was pressed against Hadrian's back. He took a few moments to feel the warmth of her embrace. It was truly odd, not even three months ago he was worried about being touched by people he didn't know. Only Hermione had hugged him and he had stiffened so quickly that he could feel her gasp. He had seen how close to tears she had been when she let him go. Neither had mentioned it. But she hadn't tried to hug him since.

Now though he was being snuggled by a relative stranger. And what's more he liked it. She seemed genuinely to worry about him. He didn't know how he had reached this point. It kind of disturbed him in a way. He wasn't very trusting of adults since the treatment of the Dursley's he hated them. But here was a woman who didn't even know him three months ago who was treating him like he had always been hers. And he quietly admitted that he liked it.

He gazed over at Hedwig who was perched on one of the ingrown tree branches. Hedwig seemed content to watch over him. He switched his gaze to Leliana who was sitting by herself. However unlike Sten, who enjoyed solitude except for Hadrian's company, she didn't like being alone. She was a very people person. Hadrian lifted Morrigan's arm off of him, after an intense battle to get her to release him, and made his way to here Leliana was watching the campfire. He sat down beside her, which startled her out of her thoughts.

"Oh hello Hadrian." She said politely. "Not sleeping well?"

"Actually I slept fine. I just sometimes can't sleep more than a few hours, due to how the Dursley's treated me. It actually helped out a lot with extra homework." Hadrian said with a small smile.

"That's terrible!" Leliana protested with a look of rage.

"I don't really care." Hadrian said emotionlessly. "I have a mother now. And if I have to go back to my world I'll make them pay for being cruel to me."

"The maker teaches forgiveness." Leliana said softly.

"I don't know what my gods teach. I never got to go to a service." Hadrian said nonchalantly.

"I am sorry to hear that everyone deserves to find peace in their god's embrace." She said sadly.

"I don't mind I am just supposed to be another person who dies fighting a madman." Hadrian said emotionlessly.

Leliana grabbed his shoulders and spun him around so they were looking directly into each other's eyes.

"Don't you ever say that. You are a delightful young man who has every bit as much right to be alive as anyone else." She said in a fierce whisper.

Hadrian barely heard her. He was captivated by her face. Or more specifically the make-up.

"So pretty." He mumbled looking at her brown eyes highlighted by green eyeliner.

She arched and eyebrow before saying. "I'm sorry I hadn't thought that you liked girls given the manner of your dress."

"I don't really know what I like." Hadrian answered truthfully. "I like to wear my mum's old robes because they feel nice against my skin, and I like that I look pretty but I don't feel like I could be a girl. Just a cute guy in a dress."

"yes well guys who like wearing dresses aren't as uncommon as you might think." Leliana said before explaining that in Orlais the men who dressed as women were treated as such. They tended to live lives like women and that even included getting married and in some cases adopting children to raise.

"Can you teach me to put on makeup?" Hadrian asked in a small voice, looking down at his feet. Leliana smiled at the boy and said that she would love to.

x-x-x-x-x x-x-x-x-x

Morrigan woke to find that Hadrian wasn't in her arms as he had been when they fell asleep. At first she rose up close to panicking but found him over beside Leliana, who was braiding his once again waist length hair into a tight rope braid. Morrigan felt a sharp pang of jealousy in her chest. He is mine she thought ferociously before stalking over. She was about to say something harsh when she noticed that he was wearing makeup. He had a light sheen of blush on his alabaster cheeks, his lips had a midnight black coating, and his eye's practically popped out due to the green eye shadow around them.

She stared in awe at the child before her. Whereas before if you looked hard enough you could just make out the boyish features of Hadrian, now there was truly a stunning little girl in front of her. She was at a loss as to what to do now. She wanted to be mad at Leliana so trying to steal Hadrian away from her, but she realized that this would be unfair to Hadrian. She couldn't teach him about makeup and things of that nature. She was truly at a loss as to how to handle this.

"Look mum, Leliana is teaching me to put on makeup. Do you think I look ok?" Hadrian asked when he saw her looking at him intently. She smiled softly before nodding and saying. "Beautiful."

"Dear why don't you go show Sten I have something I need to speak to Leliana about." Morrigan said kindly.

"Ok I can do that." Hadrian said looking at them confusedly. He got up and wondered to where Sten was watching the whole thing. Morrigan then turned to Leliana with a gaze as hard as diamond. She gazed at the other woman for a few minutes before her gaze broke and she said. "Thank you. I don't know anything about makeup, and I don't care to learn but that also means I couldn't offer advice. So for his sake thank you." With that said she stiffly turned around and walked to Sten and Hadrian. She never saw Leliana's smile.


	13. a juggernaut and a werewolf

The group packed all their camping supplies and went on their way. They traveled deeper into the ruins of the forest, and soon came up on the burial grounds of what looked like a group of elven warriors. They found the remaining pieces of Alistair's armor in the area. They also found a large door that was magically locked. There was a large stone tablet that depicted a Dalish ritual. They had Nria do the ritual. It was amazing to watch as magic swirled around her as she completed the ritual. The doors shuddered open and everyone looked inside. They were shocked to discover an armory. It had quivers full of almost perfect arrows. There were bows, swords, daggers, armor. Hadrian gazed around the room till he found a massive suit of armor. Hadrian cautiously walked over to said suit of armor while everyone was searching it out.

Hadrian gazed in awe at the armor, thinking that it was amazing. It was so large only Sten would be able to wear it. It was silver with blue lines running through the metal. He tentatively touched the armor. Suddenly the bones that were wearing it turned to dust, which became a ghostly body. The body stood up and reached for a sword beside it. Hadrian notice the blade looked like it was polished to be a mirror. It had the word reflect etched into the blade. The ghostly armor raised its blade about to cleave Hadrian, when Sten came barreling into its side with all the momentum of a runaway freight train. Hadrian looked around to find the very dust rising from the floors to attack them.

"Use your ice spell Hadrian!" Sten grunted as he tried to hold the undead armored thing down. The armored pair rolled around fighting for dominance as Hadrian cast the spell. Hadrian's eyes widened when nothing happened. Sten drew back and punched the hell out of the creatures face.

"Try again! Aim for its head only." Sten said forcing its shoulders to the floor. Hadrian hurriedly recast the spell. This time the dust head froze instead of the dust swirling around it was now a dust filled mass of head. Sten grabbed it and tossed it away, causing the armor to fall empty. Hadrian looked around at the others who were done mopping up their own enemies. He looked up at Sten who was studying the armor and ran over to the Qunari. He wrapped his arms around the Qunari and began apologizing profusely.

Sten grabbed the effeminate boy and held him at arm's length. "You have no reason to apologize to me Hadrian." He said sternly looking into the boys tear-filled emerald green eyes. "you froze, yes but you are only twelve. There is no shame about freezing in an unknown situation. At your age my people are training to be where you are, but won't be on a field of real battle for at least three years of intense training."

Hadrian gazed at the overgrown warrior deeply, and then he nodded his assent. "Can you teach me to use a sword?" he asked softly.

"I would be honored to teach you to wield a sword. Sten said with an uncharacteristic smile. He set Hadrian on his feet and then began to strip from his armor. Once he was down to his clothes between the armor and his skin, he began putting on the other armor. He then picked up the large sword and struck a pose. "What do you think?"

Hadrian stood in awe of the juggernaut before him. He had no comment to speak, but Leliana did.

"That is Yusaris the blade Dane used to kill the werewolf and the high dragon. And the juggernaut armor of the tevinter general. His name was lost to time but his liege was a mage who wanted a magic impervious warrior to fight all the other magisters. He used its power to turn on his master, killing him then fled. I don't know why those two are together or how they got here but I suggest using them as they are valuable tools.

Sten nodded gazing at his new weapon. "Behold," He said offering it to Hadrian to see. "With this blade I will protect you until such a time as you no longer need my protection."

Hadrian nodded and run his fingers lightly down the blade. He looked up at Sten and said. "Ok then I'll just have to train until you don't have to protect me anymore."

The others were standing quietly. They could all tell the seriousness that the duo held at the moment, and none dared to break it. Finally they nodded to each other, and turned to the others.

"Are we ready to continue?" Hadrian asked looking at the gathered party members.

They all nodded and started away. They finished their subsequent journey with few more interruptions. They found a small flawlessly rounded ruby sphere that had asked Nria to kill it in return for knowledge it possessed. It had apparently been a mage centuries before, and had been trapped inside the ruby during a battle. Nria was about to set it upon the alter that would destroy it for good when Sten asked to speak with the spirit. Nria handed the sphere to Sten who stood stock still for ten minutes. His face was the picture of concentration. He then nodded and instead of putting the ruby on the alter he placed it into his bag.

Everyone had raised an eyebrow at that but they didn't question it. They soon found themselves in the bottom of the ruins looking at a trio of werewolves.

"We are here to escort you to the lady of the forest." The leader said with a nod of acknowledgement. They followed the trio of were beasts into a large tree filled chamber. There standing before them was a naked woman with greenish brown skin. She had long deep brown hair. There were roots wrapping all around her body.

"You have come to free us of this curse?" she asked in a double tembre voice.

"Yes?" Nria said with a soft nod.

"Then I need you to go and bring Zathrian here to free us of this curse." She said softly. That was when it didn't matter anymore as Zathrian walked through the door and said.

"Don't worry spirit I am already here. But I will not be freeing you beasts from your curse." Zathrian said with a sneer. "I'm going to free my people and you monsters can all just die."

"I knew something was wrong with that guy." Alistair said drawing his warden long sword. "I don't know who we're fighting but we are about to be fighting."

"I think I'd like to know the full history here before we decide Nria said readying a spell. Swiftrunner walked forwards.

"It's a sad tale of pain. My ancestors were humans who acted as little more than beasts. They raped and killed his daughter and brutally killed his son."

"And I punished them with the curse and Whitherfang." Zathrian said charging a spell.

"Why keep the curse? Aren't any that attacked your family long dead by now?" Hadrian asked with a confused scowl.

"I still see their faces. I refuse to free these creatures. Now either help me or get out of the way!" Zathrian said casting a widespread paralysis spell freezing the werewolves and the spirit. Hadrian cast the petrificus totalus on Zathrian. However Zathrian was quite a bit more powerful than Hadrian, no matter how strong he had been born Zathrian was centuries old. A pair of sylvans attacked the group, only to be burned to a crisp by the combined might of Nria, Morrigan, and Hadrian's fire streams.

Alistair was downing another test tube of lyrium and keeping Zathrian's magic in check. Sten was slashing wildly at the aged bald elf. Fen'harel was attacking his with wild bites and flying tackles. Hadrian started throwing jelly leg jinxes and severing charms at Zathrian, while Nria shot lightning bolts at him, and morrigan was sending fire streams at him. However with a thousand years of life comes a thousand years of experience. Zathrian was holding his own, until Swiftrunner speared Zathrian. Sten quickly stabbed Yusaris into the ground and laying it across Zathrian's neck, quickly followed by Alistair doing the same on the other side.

"Now are you going to free them of their curse or we'll kill you." Nria said icily.

"No don't kill him!" the spirit said hurriedly. "If there is no mercy in our hearts how can we expect any from his?"

"I can't do it spirit. I am too old and my heart knows only anger." I don't know how to let go."

"Please we beg you free us from this curse." She begged.

"I am shamed by use spirit. Very well let us end this." Zathrian said pulling out a dagger like the one that Sten had broken. He quickly slit his own throat and started casting a spell. By the time he stopped speaking he was surrounded by humans and one werewolf, who was strangely enough Swiftrunner. Hadrian picked up the knife, and Zathrian's snake head tipped staff.

"We should go." Swiftrunner said walking towards them.

"Why did it not work?" Hadrian asked him in confusion.

"Because I do not want to be human. Why would I try to become something I've no knowledge about." Swiftrunner asked slowly.

"I think I understand that." Hadrian said with a small nod.

"Would you like to help us defeat the darkspawn?" Nria asked stepping forward.

"They are indeed everyone enemy so I would be honored to help defeat them." He said with a feral grin.

"Well let us go and give the news to the elves so we can leave these woods and continue this oh so noble quest." Morrigan said with a grimace. The others agreed and they left the forest.


	14. lossing ground and gaining it back

Hadrian was staring at the new keeper of the Dalish clan. She was a strong looking young woman. She seemed perfectly capable of leading the tribe. Hadrian wasn't really paying attention to what she and Nria were talking about. He didn't honestly care. He was actually watching as master Varathorn shape the iron bark that they had found. He was making a great sword out of the ultra hard material. Beside the master craftsman was Swiftrunner watching in awe as this amazing weapon was taking shape. Hadrian had to agree. It was poetry in motion. It was amazing to watch this weapon take shape under the careful almost loving carvings of the craftsman.

They continued to putter around the Dalish camp for three days while master Varathorn created the sword. Leliana had helped the halla keeper to free one of the halla of the blight. Once the sword was done though, it had been etched with a mixture of dragon's blood, lyrium, and strangely enough Swiftrunner's own blood to have the runes for strength and endurance carved into the blade. When the blade was completely done, Varathorn handed it to Swiftrunner with the words.

"Now the pain between our two people's can be mended. This blade's name is the compact. Use it well Swiftrunner."

Swiftrunner accepted the blade with a stoic expression. He looked over it with what most would say was an experienced eye. He ran his finger down the blade and nodded when the pad of his thumb was slit. He looked up at Varathorn and said. "Never have I seen such craftsmanship. It does me great honor to be the recipient of this beautiful weapon. I will wield nothing else till the day I die."

Varathorn gave him a wry smile and nodded. With that the party left the area. They were traveling through the highway towards Lake Callenhad. They had made it about a fourth of the way there when they met a man named Levi Dryden. He greeted Alistair with a hug and said how glad he was to see him. They talked for half an hour before Levi asked if they were still going to reclaim soldier's peak like had been promised. Alistair looked perplexed so Levi explained how Duncan said that he would help reclaim soldier's peak and try to help Levi find proof that his family wasn't traitors. The group thought about it and decided that since it was a war it would be good to have a well stocked fall back point in case they needed one.

They changed their course to a north westerly heading. It took another three days to get there, in which Levi got lost three times. Hadrian had been practicing what Sten felt was the essentials of any good swordsman. He was also learning to use magic to supplement his muscles from Nria, which was part of what she learned from the mage trapped in the ruby. He was using a long sword in place of the great sword Sten now used. However he was fast as greased lightning with the blade. Morrigan and Nria decided it was a good idea for him to learn lightning and earth spells as well since he would only be able to use a spell he could cast with either his wand or with a single hand. So they started to teach him the spells stone fist, which shot a fist sized stone at high velocities at your opponent, and the lightning strike spell that shot a bolt of lightning at your opponents. Hadrian picked up the lightning spell instantly. He got it so quickly they forgot all about the stone fist spell which was giving him quite a bit of trouble.

Sten and Swiftrunner were having spars frequently, which caused them to grow quite close. Yusaris and the compact danced through the air in displays of speed and ferocity unimaginged. Sten fought with all the skill his people were known and feared for. And Swiftrunner, though he'd never used a sword before, proved that while it may have been a curse starting out being a werewolf had distinct advantages in terms of speed and strength. Morrigan was helping harry to complete a new animal transformation, which was a large tan lion. The lion had been stalking them for quite a while, which gave Hadrian many opportunities to gaze at its tawny fur, and watch its muscles move under its skin. He observed that it liquid movements through the brush. It was easy to see that this wasn't a fat lazy protector that only fought when his pride was in danger. No this was an exile. A predator that fought everyday just to stay alive. Hadrian finally got the form down he promptly attacked the lion. They reared onto their hind legs and smacked at each other. They were like to razor balls of fur. One black with green cat eyes and one tan with amber. Both wanted it, and neither backed down. Morrigan was about to charge in and join the fight, only for Sten and Swiftrunner to stop her.

"It's a battle for dominance that they have to fight themselves." Swiftrunner said watching on the sideline.

"Don't worry we will stop it if he begins to lose." Sten said watching carefully. Hadrian then did something that the real lion wasn't expecting. He buried his claws into the lion's shoulders and pulled him back. He drove her back legs into the lion's stomach and kicked him high into the air. The lion flew through the air and crashed into the ground on his side. Hadrian was on him in a second. His jaws wrapped around the other cat's throat. He bit down sharply and began shaking the other's body to break it's neck. When it was down everyone watch silently as Hadrian reverted to human form. He now had a long bloody line through his left eye. The eye was destroyed, but other than one sided blindness he was ok.

"Look mum I won." He said before promptly passing out.

x-x-x-x-x x-x-x-x-x

Hadrian didn't wake up for three days, so they camped out at the foot of the peak. When he came to the first thing he received was a sharp slap to the face, followed quickly by a bone crushing hug.

"If you ever do something so stupid again I will turn you into a newt and keep you in a jar!" morrigan exclaimed while holding onto him for dear life. Hadrian just hugged her back with equal intensity.

"I love you to mum." He whispered into her ear. She just clung to him tighter. However she let him go and said to him. "The Sten wishes to speak to you."

Hadrian got up and promptly fell over. He looked horrified at the realization that his equilibrium was shot. He growled and stood up. He made his way carefully towards sten. He also noticed that his depth perception was shot. He finally reached Sten and looked up at the giant.

"Until you don't have to worry about that injury hindering you in combat, you will practice a form of perception that doesn't require your eyes to fight. We will start now." Sten said tying a blind fold around Hadrian's right eye. He then was told to dodge. He didn't realize that Sten meant right then, and was hit with a small rock in the shoulder. It didn't break the skin, but it hurt like all hell. Hadrian tried to heighten his senses using his magic. It worked, partially. The other's bid them goodbye and went off to storm soldier's peak. Sten trained Hadrian into the ground. It was exhausting, but by the end of the day he was dodging all the projectiles Sten would throw. He wore a wide grin, and he was pleased with himself. Until Sten said. "This is a good start. We will continue more tomorrow. We will add a thrower until you can dodge rocks from all of us. Then we will use blunted weapons. Finally we will attack you at random times while we walk. Eventually it will be impossible to sneak up on you." Hadrian felt like crying at the prospect.


	15. an elven assassin and a phallus

It had taken Hadrian three weeks to get to the point that he could dodge rocks thrown from everyone in camp. In that time period Sten had made him a thick waxed wool cloak with the lion's pelt as a liner. Leliana had helped Hadrian find a hair style that covered his now empty eye socket. Alistair had given him a pep talk that included famous warriors who had gained their fame after losing their eye. Morrigan had smiled kindly and said that if they found a suitable replacement they could replace it. He had smiled at that. They soon had to break camp though. Hadrian was forced to be on guard at all times as it was decided that to keep his new skill sharp by giving him constant practice. They made their way towards Lake Calenhad and by extension the circle of magi. It had been three days since they left soldiers peak when they met a woman begging for aid. She claimed that her caravan had toppled and could they help right her wagon.

They followed her to the sight of the wagon's upheaval and began to move it up to its side. Only for Hadrian to scream "ambush." When he felt an arrow wiz by his head and bury itself deep in Sten's side. Sten grabbed it and jerked it out. He roared in rage and grabbed Yusaris. He spun around and unleashed an enraged battle cry. Swiftrunner was beside him in an instant with the compact held aloft ready for battle. Nria and Alistair were back to back and morrigan and Leliana were as well. Hadrian had transformed into his large black lion form and got on Sten's right so his left side was covered. The hills surrounding them well filling with armored men and women who were jeering at them.

A teenaged elf walked forwards and said. "Loghain sends his regards."

The area turned into a battlefield from there. The assassins attacked in mass. Sten, Swiftrunner and Hadrian were in a small bottlenecked area so they pretty much had the advantage of sheer strength against their opponents. Leliana was firing arrows at a pace that dropped a man every third second until she ran out of arrows and then resorted to using a pair of daggers. Morrigan was using wide spread fire and ice spells. Alistair was destroying anyone who dared to get close to him and Nria. Nria was casting lightning from her staff blowing them apart. The battle raged for every bit of half an hour before they were all destroyed. When no more came forward they began to hear clapping. Hadrian reverted his form and walked over to his pseudo mom. She worriedly checked him for wounds as Sten was gulping down a large vial of health potion. Swiftrunner was glaring at the teenaged elf who was clapping from his rock, where it appeared he hadn't moved.

Nria stepped forward and said. "Do we need to kill you to?"

"No there is no more reason to fight I am an assassin not a field warrior." The elf said with a wry grin.

"So what we let you leave and you return with more assassins?" morrigan asked looking up from Hadrian.

"No." the elf said with a frown. "I have not killed you so I have failed. Meaning that I am dead to the crows. Either you kill me or they do."

"So killing you quickly is a mercy?" Hadrian asked from Morrigan's embrace.

"No mercy would be to let me follow you around to stay away from the crows." The elf said grinning at Hadrian.

"Really?" Alistair asked in a dumbstruck manner. "You tried to kill us and we let you come with us?"

"Well actually I didn't try to kill any of you." The elf said with a smile. "I was hired to kill the wardens I failed. Now either you guys kill me, I travel with you and help you end the blight, or I run as far and fast as I can to escape the crows."

Hadrian looked at him for a moment before saying. "Can we keep him?"

Nria burst into a fit of giggles. "Well we do need all the help we can get."

"Very good. My name is Zevron by the way." The elf said happily hopping up and making his way to their spot. Hadrian cocked his head and smiled serenely.

"I like him." He said happily. Morrigan's eyebrow shot up and she looked between the two boys before taking Hadrian towards Sten and Swiftrunner who were glaring at Zevron menacingly.

Again Nria laughed. "And on that note we continue onto the circle tower."

x-x-x-x-x x-x-x-x-x

They continued onto the circle tower with little interruptions. Zevron keep trying to get closer to Hadrian, and was quickly run off by Sten, Morrigan, or Swiftrunner. Nria would giggle lightly every time she saw it happen. Leliana had taken to staying with Hadrian and Hedwig, as had Fen'harel. Hadrian found all this extra attention overwhelming. He was about tempted to tell them all to bugger off by the time they reached the edge of Lake Calenhad. Sten had grabbed a man who was ransacking a group of long dead Qunari. He demanded to know where his sword was. The man claimed to have bought rights to the spot from another man named faryn whom he called a squirrely little bastard. He told Sten that he could be found near orzammar. Sten let him go and they all made their way towards the docks of the circle tower. They found an over excited templar blocking the way by the order of knight commander gregoir. He offered to let them pass if they left morrigan behind, which caused Hadrian to open his palm and let lightning jolt across his fingers. "I suggest you rephrase that or I'll fry your balls." The cross-dressing boy said angrily. They were quickly ushered across the lake to the tower, which morrigan compared to a giant phallus. Hadrian hung his head at his mother's humor.


End file.
